Improvement in movable fronts for buildings



UNITED STATES PATENT FFTGE.

JOHN MURPHY, OF FOND lDU' LAO, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOVABLE FRONTS FOR BUILDINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,203, dated January :26, 1875; application filed September 18, 1874.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MURPHY, of Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain Improvements in Fronts for Store and other Buildings, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists in so arranging the door and window frames, which have the doors and windows mounted therein as usual, that they may be slid downward below the door, so as to leave the front of the building open and unobstructed, save by the supporting pillars or columns; and also in a peculiar arrangement of a movable foot-plate, as hereinafter described.

Figure lis a vertical section of a door arranged on my plan, the door being lowered into the basement; Fig. 2, a view ofthe same with the door elevated and in position for use; Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line x x, and Fig. 4 a vertical section on the line y y.

A A represent the walls of the building, and B its front pillars, made hollow, and provided on their side faces with guide-rails a, to hold and guide the frame O, in which the doors D are hinged in the usual manner. The frame O slides freely up and down between the guides, which extend downward into the cellar or basement, so that, when desired, the frame with its doors may be lowered below the level of the floor and footwalk, as shown in Fig. l. The door-frame O is suspended by cords b, Which pass over pulleys c into the hollow pillars B, and have counter-weights d attached to their ends, as shown, so that the frame is readily moved and remains wherever stopped.

In order to permit the downward movement of the frame an opening is made through the door-sill, and in order to cover and close this opening' a foot-plate or threshold, E, is provided. When the frame is down the footplate is laid upon the sill over the opening, as

' shown in Figs. l and 3, so that it covers and conceals the frame; but when the frame is up in place the foot-plate is placed in the frame under the doors, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so that it not only covers the opening, but also prevents the frame and doors from being lowered when the latter are shut.

F represents the transom or fan light, which is mounted above the door-frame, suspended by weighted cords, and arranged to slide upward above the ceiling. The transom may, however, be mounted in the door-frame to slide downward therewith.

Although I have only shown a door-frame in the drawings, it should be understood that my building is to have its window-frames arranged to slide downward in the same manner as the doors.

By thus arranging the doors and windows, so that they can be slid down below the level of the floor, I am enabled to throw the front of the store entirely open, so that it will have no obstructions whatever, excepting the pillars. In this way the store is rendered light and attractive, free ingress and egress permitted, a 4better display of Wares permitted, and the danger of breaking the front glass avoided.

It is obvious that the weights may be omitted and suitable gearing employed for operating the sliding frames, that the arrangement of the foot-plate may be changed, and that any suitable locking devices may be employed to fasten the frames.

It will, of course, be understood that where the entire front of a store is to be thrown open it will consist only of the series of pillars and the intermediate frames containing the doors, or doors and windows.

When the door and window frames are elevated and in their normal positions, the building presents the saine appearance as those of the ordinary construction, and its doors and windowsoperate in the ordinary manner, the doors swinging and the sash sliding in my movable frames in precisely the same manner as in the common stationary frames. While, therefore, the front may be thrown entirely open when desired, it will be seen that in stormy and cold weather its doors and windows may be brought into use asin any other building.

I am aware that it is old to arrange shutters or blinds to slide downward and upward, and I lay no claim thereto, as they do not in any way answer the purpose of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A door or window frame having its door or sash mounted therein as usual, arranged in vertical guides7 substantially as shown and described, so that it can slide downward and carry its door or sash below the ioor, as set forth.

2. A store-front consisting of upright pillars and intermediate sliding frames, containing the doors and windows, and arranged to slide downward below the loor7 in order to leave the front open and unobstructed save by' the pillars.

3. In combination with the slidiu g frame C, having the doors mounted therein, the footplate E, arranged to fit Within the frame be low the doors, as shown.

JOHN MURPHY.

Witr esses:

R. EBERT, WM. EUCKING. 

